Intermediate Medium Stack Strategies on the Bubble in Texas Hold’em URL has been copied successfully! A medium stack strategy on the bubble is about picking the right spots to make your move When you’re playing Texas Hold’em and find yourself on the bubble with a medium stack, your strategy can significantly impact whether you make it into the money or bust out just short. The bubble is a tense phase where players are more cautious, trying to secure a payday. As a medium stack, you have enough chips to make moves but not enough to be overly comfortable, so you need a balanced approach. The first key to success is choosing your spots wisely. You’re not desperate enough to shove with marginal hands like the short stacks, but you also can’t sit back and let your stack dwindle. Look for opportunities to open-raise with hands that have good equity, like suited connectors, small pairs, or high cards. This puts pressure on the smaller stacks, who are trying to survive, and the bigger stacks, who might be playing cautiously to avoid tangling with you. Another important aspect is keeping an eye on your table dynamics. Identify who the short stacks are and how the big stacks are behaving. Big stacks tend to bully during this stage, so you should be prepared to fight back if they target your blinds too aggressively. On the other hand, you don’t want to take unnecessary risks against them either, as they can knock you out with little consequence to their chip lead. Position plays a crucial role in bubble strategy as well. In late position, you have the flexibility to open up your range and steal blinds more often. If the action folds to you, making a move with a medium stack can force the blinds to fold, adding to your stack without much risk. Lastly, don’t be afraid to fold hands that you’d normally play. If a big stack puts you to the test and you’re holding a marginal hand, it’s okay to let it go. Preservation is key on the bubble, and losing a chunk of your stack can turn you into a short stack quickly.